X VARIETIES OF BLACK RHINOCEROS 183 



individual variations of no specific value, it is in- 

 teresting to note the divergence of opinion between 

 well-known writers as to the comparative aggressive- 

 ness of the two supposed species. 



Oswell speaks of the borili — the prehensile-lipped 

 rhinoceros in which the second horn was short — as 

 being *' as a rule the only really troublesome member 

 of his family," whilst Andersson and Chapman con- 

 sidered the keitloa — the variety in which both horns 

 were of equal or nearly equal length — as the more 

 dangerous variety. 



Gordon Gumming speaks of both varieties of 

 the black rhinoceros as " extremely fierce and 

 dangerous," and says '* they rush headlong and 

 unprovoked at any object which attracts their 

 attention." Although, however, this great hunter 

 must have seen and shot large numbers of these 

 animals, I cannot gather from his writings that he 

 ever treated them with the respect which the 

 character he gives them ought to have inspired, 

 or ever seemed to think there was much danger 

 to be apprehended in attacking them. Having 

 approached the first black rhinoceros he ever saw 

 very closely, it heard him and advanced towards 

 where he was hiding. Gordon Gumming then, 

 '* knowing well that a frontal shot would not prove 

 deadly," sprang to his feet and ran for cover, upon 

 which the rhinoceros charged and chased him 

 round a bush. The animal then stood eyeing the 

 hunter, but ''getting a whiff of his windy at once 

 became alarmed and ran off!' This last remark is 

 interesting to me because it has so often been stated 

 that black rhinoceroses charge as a rule immediately 

 they scent a human being, whereas my own experi- 

 ence agrees in this particular with that of Gordon 

 Gumming. With the exception of this adventure, a 

 careful perusal of Gordon Gumming's writings does 

 not reveal the fact that he was ever again in any 



